The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to accountability detection and response devices for first responders.
Emergency personnel systems for first responders (e.g., firefighters) include location/tracking, electronics and sensor monitoring indoors/outdoors to aid in emergencies. For example, first responders (e.g., firefighters, rescue workers, emergency service personnel, HazMat teams, or the like) have begun carrying a variety of respiratory protection device (e.g., GPS, distress signal unit, automatic distress signal unit, position monitors, personal alarm safety system (“PASS”), or the like) on backpacks or a headgear. The respiratory protection device alerts other first responders when the wearer is in distress by transmitting an alarm condition.
During emergencies, an incident commander or another first responder may be in contact and continually monitor the condition of first responders on the scene using, for example, accountability networks. Accountability networks are used by first responders to provide and/or receive command and control instructions such as, for example, evacuation commands, from an on-scene commander during emergency situations. Traditionally, a first responder and/or on-scene commander would monitor the accountability network using stand-alone equipment requiring set up time to establish the network, which may delay emergency services.
Emergency service vehicles (e.g., fire trucks, HazMat vehicles) have begun to include communication systems within a vehicle control system to establish communication networks, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,909,944 and 7,184,866 all of which is expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, these references and conventional emergency service vehicles do not provide accountability information or operate as a command and control site through the accountability network. Thus, there is a need to integrate the accountability system to emergency service vehicles.